Oyster-opener.



B. B. & R. C. HARTLEB.

OYSTER OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I0, I917.

11. ,%3% 6@& Patented July 10, 1917.

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BERNHHRD B. HHRTLEB RUDOLPH C. HHRTLEB awe/whom B. B. & R. C. HARTLEB.

OYSTER OPENER.

APPLiCATlON FILED JAN. 10, 1917.

1 ,QfifigfifiQ Patented. July 10, 1917.

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BERN'HARI) B. HARTLEB AND RUDOLPH C. HARTLEB, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

OYSTER-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10?, 1917.

Application filed January 10, 1917. Serial No. 141,634.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BERNHARD B. HART- LEB and RUDOLPH C. HARTLEB, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oyster-Openers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in oyster openers and it is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device of this general character including a blade mounted for sliding move ment together with means for locking said blades in either an extended or retracted position and wherein means is provided for limiting the extended movement of the blade.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of our improved oyster opener whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that our invention may be the better understood, we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an oyster opener constructed in accordance with an embodiment of our invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevational view of the device as herein embodied;

Fig. 8 is an edge elevational view of the device as herein disclosed opposite to that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 14 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view with portions broken away of the device as herein set forth with certain of the parts shown in extended position;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudlnal sectional view illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention; and V Fig. 8 1s a cross sectional vlew taken through the lower portion of Fig. 76

As disclosed in the accompanying drawmgs, 1 1 denote pivotally connected jaws of a plier type which are provided with the substantially straight operating handles 2. It is also to be observed that the opposed or contacting jaws 3 of the jaws l are sharpened so that the same, in addition to being used for ordinary purposes for which pliers are employed, will serve to cut the shell of an oyster or other bivalve in order to facilitate the opening of the oyster.

The outer portion of one of the jaws 1 is straight, as indicated at 4, and the forward extremity of said straight portion 4- has extending thereacross the guide loop 5 through which the elongated blade B is adapted to be directed. As is clearly shown in the accompanying drawings, the inner end portion 6 of the blade B is adapted to snugly fit within the guide or loop 5 when the blade B is in extended or operative position. The blade B, when in extended or operative position, is particularly adapted to separate the shell of an oyster or the like after the shell has been cut by the jaws 3 and also to free the oyster or other mussel.

Threaded through the loop or guide 5 is a clamping or binding screw 7 adapted to coact in a conventional manner with the inner end portion 6 of the blade B for effectively holding the same in its extended or operative adjustment.

The rear part of the portion 6 of the blade B has threaded therethrough the clamping screw 8 which, when the blade B is extended, is adapted to be received within the notch 18 formed in the rear or inner margin of the loop or guide member 5.

The handle .2 of the second jaw 1 when the edges 3 of the jaws are in contact has its outer flattened face flush with the flattened face l of the first named jaw so that the blade B may be readily moved inwardly upon said handle 2 and substantially incased or sheathed within the housing 9 overlying the flattened face of said handle 2. The outer face of the housing 9 is provided with a longitudinally disposed open-end slot 10 to receive the clamping crew 8 so that said screw 8 may be properly adjusted to hold the blade B against accidental outward movement from within the housing 9.

The second handle member 2 is provided with the longitudinally disposed slot 11 adapted to substantially incase the fork F,

said fork being of a type generally employed in connection with oysters or the like. The fork F is pivotally engaged at one end portion within an extremity of the slot 11, and the end of the fork F adjacent its pivotal mounting is flat so that when in extended position the flat spring S carried by the second handle 2 and partially overlying the slot 11 will engage said fiat end portion of the fork and serve to maintain the same in its extended or operative adjustment. It will also be perceived that the spring S serves as a medium to prevent accidental adjustment of the fork F from within the slot 11.

As illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the pertionG ofthe blade 13 may be received within the dovetailed groove 12 extending longitudinally of the handle member 2% The outer end portion of one of the handle members 2 is reduced, as indicated at 1 1, to afford a screw driver, while the outer end of the second handle member 2 is provided with the claw 15 so that the same may be efiectively employed as a tack or nail extractor. V

We have also found it of advantage to provide the second named handle member 2 at a point inwardly of the claw 15 with the inwardly directed member 16 provided with the outwardly disposed arcuate hook member 17 whereby the device may be readily employed as a cap remover.

From the foregoing description, it is thought tobe obvious that an oyster opener constructed in accordance with our invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled, and it will also be obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change and modification without material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice, except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim: 7

1. A device of the character described comprising a body provided with a guide, an elongated member having a portion slidably engaged with the guide, a loop carried holding said elongated member against movement when disposed through the loop member.

2. A device of the character described co'mprisiiig a body provided with a guide, an elongated member having a portion slidably engaged with the guide, a loop carried by the body and in longitudinal alinement with the guide and throughwhich the elongated member is adapted to be directed, a clamping member carried by the elongated member for locking the same against move ment relative to the guide, said clamping member also c'oactin'g with the loop member for limiting the movement of the elongated member through said loop member, and clamping means carried by the loop for 'co action with the elongated member for holding said elongated member against movement when disposed through the loop member, an edge of the loop member being provided with a notch to receive the clamping member carried by the elongated member when said elongated member is at the limit of its movement through the loop member.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

BERNHARD B. HARTLEB. RUDOLPH C. HARTLEB.

-Witnesses n Hmvm J. EaNnLAs, AUG. BERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained 'for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eate'nts.

Washingtonfl). G. 

